Grantham campaigners to hold second biker rally in support of county’s hospitals

Bikers and campaigners gather at Grantham Hospital from where the first Fighting 4 Life Lincolnshire rally departed. Photo: Ray Wootten

Hundreds of bikers are expected to take part in a second bikers rally in support of the county’s hospitals and rural health services.

The rally will leave from Grantham Hospital on Sunday, June 4, at 10am and bikers are asked to wear something red in recognition of the emergency departments. The bikers will also be delivering biscuits to staff at the emergency departments at the hospitals.

The rally will make its way to Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, and then onto Skegness Hospital to arrive by midday. It will then leave Skegness at 1pm for Louth Hospital where refreshments will be served before leaving at 2.30pm to ride to Lincoln Hospital. The rally will finish at Woody’s Bar at Ancaster for refreshments, about 4.30pm, where people are asked to meet the bikers if they can’t make the rally.

A minute’s silence will be held at the Pilgrim Hospital as near to 11am as possible for the Manchester victims and the emergency services and hospital staff who dealt with the aftermath of the incident.

Organiser Sarah Stock, of campaign group, Fighting 4 Life Lincolnshire, said: “We tested the route on May 7 and it was a fantastic day - 140 miles in total. I am a 45-year-old nurse, recovering from radical surgery for breast cancer nine months ago and I am aiming to ride the route this time, if my body will allow me to! Riding pillion was great, but I am determined to ride it this time!”

People can sponsor Sarah or make a donation to the air ambulance fund-raiser page on Fighting 4 Life Lincolnshire or throw some loose change into the collection buckets on the day.

Sarah added: “We are highlighting the distances between our rural hospitals and to show solidarity within our beautiful county and how we pull together to encourage recruitment of medical and nursing staff to this awesome county of three quarters of a million people. Not to mention the seven million plus tourists who visit our coast every year. Lincolnshire Yellow Belly County is truly amazing. Let’s show them what we’re made of!

“Supermarket chains are on board with providing biscuits for our front-line staff in the five hospitals we will be stopping off at and I await the response from the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust Board team for providing staff to meet and greet us and receive the biscuits for staff in all five emergency departments. Any other company, local business who would like to donate cakes or biscuits to our NHS staff at any of the hospitals is very welcome to join us on the day.

“Members of the public and staff are welcoming us at each hospital as we stop off to deliver the biscuits and your support of our frontline staff is much appreciated.”